dogwood, (genus Cornus), genus of shrubs, trees, and herbs in the dogwood family (Cornaceae), native to Europe, eastern Asia, and North America. Several are cultivated for their attractive flowers, and a few shrubby species are planted for their variegated leaves and colourful twigs—which can be red, purple, or yellow—and as food for game. Cornus is the Latin word for the cornel tree, Cornus mas.
The name cornel dates to the 1550s, via German from Middle Latin cornolium, ultimately from the diminutive cornuculum, of cornum, the Latin word for the cornel cherry. Dogwood trees and shrubs, belonging to the Cornus genus, vary greatly in size from towering trees to small ground-covering plants. These plants offer year-round beauty, starting with spring blossoms and summer berries, followed by vibrant fall hues, and colorful winter stems. Genus name comes from the Latin word cornus meaning "horn", possibly in reference to the strength and density of the wood.
cornus red, Cornus is also the Latin name for cornelian cherry (Cornus mas). Ethnobotanic: Flowering dogwood root bark was used by Native Americans as a fever reducer, skin astringent, an antidiarrheal agent, and as a pain reliever for headaches, sores, and muscle inflammations. It was also used to counteract the effects of many poisons and as a general tonic for unspecified ailments. Cornus is a species of 30-60 plants, commonly known as dogwoods. The Western dogwood and Chinese cornus are in the same plant family but have somewhat different healing properties.
cornus red, Dogwood (or Cornus) is a beautiful shrub that shares lovely flowers and beautiful leafage, especially in fall. Key facts to remember. The dogwood family has a number of shrubs and even a few small trees, but none of them grow any taller than a few dozen feet. This account follows Eyde (1987) and Flora of China (Xiang & Boufford 2005) in recognising Cornus in a broad sense, with 50–60 species in the temperate northern hemisphere, but also one to two species in South America and one in Africa.
